Shoe upper and method for knitting shoe upper

ABSTRACT

There is provided a shoe upper that is less likely to stretch, and a method for knitting the shoe upper. A shoe upper ( 1 ) includes a linear anti-stretch section ( 4 ), knitted integrally to an instep cover section ( 3 ), for suppressing stretching of the instep cover section ( 3 ). The anti-stretch section ( 4 ) includes a pipe-form knitted fabric portion ( 40 ) configured with a knitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn, and an inserting knitting yarn ( 41 ) inserted inside the pipe-form knitted fabric portion ( 40 ) and fixed by tuck to stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabric portion ( 40 ). The pipe-form knitted fabric portion ( 40 ) is configured by an inner knitted fabric part ( 40   i ) and an outer knitted fabric part ( 40   o ) that overlap in a thickness direction of the instep cover section ( 3 ), a starting end in a wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part ( 40   i ) and a starting end in a wale direction of the outer knitted fabric part ( 40   o ) being joined, and a terminating end in the wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part ( 40   i ) and a terminating end in the wale direction of the outer knitted fabric part ( 40   o ) being joined to form a pipe shape.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a shoe upper and a method for knittingthe same.

BACKGROUND ART

A shoe includes a shoe upper with a sole cover section that covers asole of a wearer, and an instep cover section that covers a portion onan instep side of the wearer. In outdoor shoes, an outer sole made ofsynthetic resin and the like is attached to the sole cover section ofthe shoe upper.

In recent years, attempts have been made to configure the instep coversection, of the sole cover section and the instep cover sectionconfiguring the shoe upper, with one knitted fabric to produce the shoewith high productivity. For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, theinstep cover section in a planarly developed state is produced with oneknitted fabric, which is then joined to the outer sole made of syntheticresin and the like along with the sole cover section to complete theshoe.

The shoe upper may be stretched out of shape when used repeatedly. As acountermeasure, in the shoe upper of Patent Document 1, a tube is formedin the instep cover section, and a wire is inserted inside the tube.Furthermore, in the shoe upper of Patent Document 2, an inlay knittingyarn is interwoven into the instep cover section to suppress thestretching of the instep cover section.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

-   [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5391493-   [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application    Publication No. 2014-508009

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The stretching of the shoe upper may not be sufficiently suppressed inthe configuration of Patent Documents described above. In particular,when using a shoe upper for exercise, a considerably large force acts onthe shoe upper thus possibly causing the shoe upper to stretch. Thus,development of a shoe upper that is less likely to stretch compared tothe conventional shoe upper is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstancesand an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe upper thatis less likely to stretch even if used repeatedly, and a method forknitting the shoe upper.

Means for Solving the Problems

An aspect of the present invention relates to a shoe upper including aninstep cover section that covers a portion on an instep side of awearer. The shoe upper of this invention includes a linear anti-stretchsection, integrally arranged in the instep cover section by knitting,for suppressing stretching of the instep cover section. The anti-stretchsection includes a pipe-form knitted fabric portion configured with aknitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn, and an inserting knittingyarn inserted inside the pipe-form knitted fabric portion and fixed bytuck to stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabric portion. Thepipe-form knitted fabric portion of the anti-stretch section isconfigured by an inner knitted fabric part and an outer knitted fabricpart that overlap in a thickness direction of the instep cover section,a starting end in a wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part anda starting end in a wale direction of the outer knitted fabric partbeing joined, and a terminating end in the wale direction of the innerknitted fabric part and a terminating end in the wale direction of theouter knitted fabric part being joined to form a pipe shape.

According to one aspect of the shoe upper of the present invention, aknitting width direction of the instep cover section is directed in alengthwise direction of the shoe upper.

According to one aspect of the shoe upper of the present invention, aknitting width direction of the instep cover section is directed in aheight direction of the shoe upper.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a method for knitting ashoe upper in which an instep cover section that covers a portion on aninstep side of a wearer is knitted in a seamless manner using a flatknitting machine including a one-side needle bed and an other-sideneedle bed disposed opposite to each other. In the method for knittingthe shoe upper of this invention, a linear anti-stretch sectionintegrally formed in the instep cover section is knitted while knittingthe instep cover section, the anti-stretch section including a pipe-formknitted fabric portion in which an inner knitted fabric part and anouter knitted fabric part overlapping in a thickness direction of theinstep cover section are joined to a pipe shape, and an insertingknitting yarn inserted inside the pipe-form knitted fabric portion andfixed by tuck to stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabricportion. In the knitting of the anti-stretch section, the followingprocesses α to γ are carried out.

[Process α] Knitting a starting end in a wale direction of the innerknitted fabric part and a starting end in a wale direction of the outerknitted fabric part joined with a knitting yarn including a heat fusibleyarn.[Process β] Knitting the inner knitted fabric part and the outer knittedfabric part with different needle beds, feeding the inserting knittingyarn different from the inner knitted fabric part and the outer knittedfabric part between the knitted fabric parts, and fixing the insertingknitting yarn by tuck to stitches of the inner knitted fabric part orstitches of the outer knitted fabric part.[Process γ] Joining a terminating end in the wale direction of the innerknitted fabric part and a terminating end in the wale direction of theouter knitted fabric part by knitting.

The instep cover section may be knitted according to the followingconditions A, B, or may be knitted according to the following conditionsC, D.

[Condition A] Knit the instep cover section from the instep side towardthe sole side, or knit the instep cover section from the sole sidetoward the instep side.

[Condition B] Knit the left side portion and the right side portion ofthe instep cover section with the one-side needle bed and the other-sideneedle bed, respectively.

The knitting method that satisfies the conditions A and B is describedin the first embodiment and the modified embodiment 1-1, to be describedlater.

[Condition C] Knit the instep cover section from the heel side towardthe toe side, or knit the instep cover section from the toe side towardthe heel side.

[Condition D] Knit the left side portion and the right side portion ofthe instep cover section with the one-side needle bed and the other-sideneedle bed, respectively.

The knitting method that satisfies the conditions C and D is describedin the second embodiment and the modified embodiment 2-1, to bedescribed later.

Effects of the Invention

The shoe upper of the present invention is less likely to stretch evenif used repeatedly. This is because the anti-stretch section configuredby the pipe-form knitted fabric portion integrated to the instep coversection by knitting and the inserting knitting yarn fixed by tuck to thepipe-form knitted fabric portion restrict the stretching of the instepcover section. The pipe-form knitted fabric portion is a thick knittedfabric portion configured by the inner knitted fabric part and the outerknitted fabric part overlapping in the thickness direction of the instepcover section and hence is less likely to stretch, and furthermore, theinserting knitting yarn fixed by tuck to the pipe-form knitted fabricportion restricts the stretching of the pipe-form knitted fabricportion. As a result, the anti-stretch section configured by thepipe-form knitted fabric portion and the inserting knitting yarnsufficiently exerts the effect of suppressing the stretching of theinstep cover section. Moreover, the inserting knitting yarn is notmerely hooked to the pipe-form knitted fabric portion by tuck, but isalso fused to the pipe-form knitted fabric portion by the heat fusibleyarn contained in the pipe-form knitted fabric portion when the shoeupper is heat treated, whereby the inserting knitting yarn and thepipe-form knitted fabric portion are strongly integrated. Thus, theinserting knitting yarn is less likely to shift inside the pipe-formknitted fabric portion, and the shoe upper (instep cover section) isless likely to lose shape.

In the aspect in which the knitting width direction of the instep coversection is directed in the lengthwise direction of the shoe upper, theanti-stretch section integrally formed in the instep cover section isextended in the lengthwise direction of the shoe upper or is extended ina direction inclined with respect to the lengthwise direction. Inparticular, the stretch in the lengthwise direction of the shoe upper(instep cover section) can be further suppressed by forming theanti-stretch section in the left side portion and the right side portionof the instep cover section, and joining such anti-stretch sections atthe position of the toe and the position of the heel of the instep coversection.

In the aspect in which the knitting width direction of the instep coversection is directed in the height direction of the shoe upper, theanti-stretch section integrally formed in the instep cover section isextended in the height direction of the shoe upper or is extended in adirection inclined with respect to the height direction. According tosuch anti-stretch section, the shoe upper (instep cover section) can besuppressed from being stretched and expanding toward the outer side.

According to the method for knitting the shoe upper of the presentinvention, the shoe upper of the present invention in which theanti-stretch section is integrated in the instep cover section can beknitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a shoe upper according to afirst embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a knitting procedure of the shoeupper of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a knitting process diagram of an anti-stretch section of theshoe upper.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a knitting procedure of a shoe upperaccording to a second embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of a shoe upper and a method for knitting thesame according to the present invention will be described based on thedrawings. In the embodiments, a two-bed flat knitting machine includingat least a one-side needle bed and an other-side needle bed disposedopposite to each other in a front and back direction, the stitches beingtransferable between the needle beds, is used. The flat knitting machineto be used may, of course, be a four-bed flat knitting machine.

First Embodiment Shoe Upper

A shoe upper 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a sole cover section 2 thatcovers a sole portion of a wearer, and an instep cover section 3 thatcovers a portion on an instep side of the wearer. The shoe upper 1 mayfurther include an outer sole (not shown) on the outer side of the solecover section 2. The main features of the shoe upper 1 of the presentembodiment lie in that a linear anti-stretch section 4 is provided, andin that the entire shoe upper 1 including the anti-stretch section 4 isa knitted fabric knitted integrally in a seamless manner. Eachconfiguration of the shoe upper 1 will be described in detail below.

[Sole Cover Section and Instep Cover Section]

The sole cover section 2 and the instep cover section 3 are knittedfabrics formed by knitting. The direction of the stitches in eachsection 2, 3 changes according to the knitting direction of the shoeupper 1. For example, when knitting the shoe upper 1 from a sole sidetoward the instep side, the knitting width direction of each section 2,3 is directed in a lengthwise direction (toe to heel direction) of theshoe upper 1, and the direction of the stitches in the instep coversection 3 in this case becomes upward. When knitting the shoe upper 1from the instep side toward the sole side, on the other hand, theknitting width direction of each section 2, 3 is directed in thelengthwise direction of the shoe upper 1, and the direction of thestitches in the instep cover section 3 in this case becomes downward.The following description will be made assuming the shoe upper 1 of thefirst embodiment is knitted from the sole side toward the instep side.The knitting from the instep side toward the sole side will be describedin the modified embodiment 1-1.

The sole cover section 2 and the instep cover section 3 may be knittedin a seamless manner without seam, or may be separately knitted andjoined afterwards by sewing and the like. The former configuration isadopted in the present embodiment.

The sole cover section 2 and the instep cover section 3 are preferablyknitted with a fusible knitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn. Theshoe upper 1 can be three-dimensionally molded when the shoe upper 1 isfitted into a last (foot model) and subjected to heat treatment byknitting each section 2, 3 with the fusible knitting yarn. Each section2, 3 may, of course, be knitted with a non-fusible knitting yarn notincluding the heat fusible yarn, or a part of each section 2, 3 may beknitted with the fusible knitting yarn and the remaining part may beknitted with the non-fusible knitting yarn.

[Anti-Stretch Section]

The anti-stretch section 4 is integrally arranged in the instep coversection 3 by knitting, and has a function of suppressing the stretchingof the instep cover section 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the designability ofthe instep cover section 3 (shoe upper 1) can be enhanced by having thecolor of the knitting yarn configuring the anti-stretch section 4different from the color of the knitting yarn configuring the instepcover section 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of anti-stretch sections 4 is preferablyarranged on a main body left portion 3L, which is the left side portionof the instep cover section 3, and a main body right portion 3R, whichis the right side portion of the instep cover section 3. In particular,the stretching of the instep cover section 3 can be effectivelysuppressed by arranging a plurality of anti-stretch sections 4intensively at a portion where load tends to be applied during use suchas the heel portion and the toe portion. Some of the anti-stretchsections 4, which are arranged on the heel side, are inclined withrespect to the lengthwise direction of the shoe upper 1, but each of theanti-stretch sections 4 is extended substantially toward the lengthwisedirection of the shoe upper 1. Furthermore, the entire instep coversection 3 can be suppressed from stretching outward by joining theanti-stretch section 4 of the main body left portion 3L and theanti-stretch section 4 of the main body right portion 3R.

The configuration of the anti-stretch section 4 will be described inmore detail based on an encircled cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. Asshown in the cross-sectional view, the anti-stretch section 4 includes apipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 configured with a knitting yarnincluding the heat fusible yarn, and an inserting knitting yarn 41inserted into the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 and fixed by tuckto the stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40.

The pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 is configured by an innerknitted fabric part 40 i and an outer knitted fabric part 40 ooverlapping in a thickness direction of the instep cover section 3. Thepipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 is formed to a pipe-shape by joininga starting end in a wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part 40 iand a starting end in a wale direction of the outer knitted fabric part40 o at a position indicated with an arrow head “a”, and joining aterminating end in the wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part40 i and a terminating end in the wale direction of the outer knittedfabric part 40 o at a position indicated with an arrow head “b”. Theknitting width direction of the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40coincides with the extending direction of the pipe-form knitted fabricportion 40. The inner knitted fabric part 40 i is a knitted fabric partthat connects the portions that are separate from each other in the waledirection of the instep cover section 3, but may be assumed as a part ofthe instep cover section 3.

The number of courses (number of stitch rows lined in the waledirection) of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o in the present exampleis greater than the number of courses of the inner knitted fabric part40 i. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the pipe-form knitted fabricportion 40 has a substantially D-shape projecting toward the outer sideof the shoe upper 1. With the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 havingsuch shape, the inner peripheral surface of the instep cover section 3can be made smooth without the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40projecting out toward the inner side of the instep cover section 3, andhence the comfortableness of the shoe upper 1 can be enhanced.

The pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 having the above configurationis knitted with the fusible knitting yarn including the heat fusibleyarn, as previously described above. This is so that when the fusibleknitting yarn is subjected to heat treatment, the heat fusible yarn ismolten and solidified, thus creating the pipe-form knitted fabricportion 40 that is less likely to stretch. Furthermore, the insertingknitting yarn 41, to be described later, can be fused in the pipe-formknitted fabric portion 40 by performing heat treatment on the fusibleknitting yarn of the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40, so that thepipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 and the inserting knitting yarn 41can be integrated. Moreover, a state in which the inner knitted fabricpart 40 i and the outer knitted fabric part 40 o configuring thepipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 are closely attached, and a hollowarea is not formed between the knitted fabric parts 40 i and 40 o isrealized by performing heat treatment on the fusible knitting yarn. Insuch a case, the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 and the insertingknitting yarn 41 are more strongly integrated, and the anti-stretcheffect of the anti-stretch section 4 is enhanced.

The inserting knitting yarn 41 to be inserted inside the pipe-formknitted fabric portion 40 is extended along the extending direction ofthe hole of the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40, and fixed by tuckto the stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 at apredetermined interval (in the encircled cross-sectional view, a statefixed by tuck is shown in a simplified manner). The interval (intervalin depth direction in the plane of drawing) of the tuck is notparticularly limited. For example, the inserting knitting yarn 41 can betucked to every five to ten stitches in the knitting width direction ofthe pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40. Furthermore, the number ofinserting knitting yarns 41 to be inserted inside the pipe-form knittedfabric portion 40 is not particularly limited. The greater the number ofinserting knitting yarns 41, the more the anti-stretch effect by theanti-stretch section 4 can be enhanced. The inserting knitting yarn 41is fixed to the outer knitted fabric part 40 o in the present example,but may be fixed to the inner knitted fabric part 40 i.

The inserting knitting yarn 41 may be inserted over the entire length ofthe pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40, or may be inserted over a partof the entire length. Of course, the anti-stretch effect by theanti-stretch section 4 can be more enhanced if the inserting knittingyarn 41 is inserted over the entire length of the pipe-form knittedfabric portion 40.

The inserting knitting yarn 41 is configured with a high strengthknitting yarn that is less likely to stretch. For example, a highstrength knitting yarn configured with nylon, polyester, aramid,polypropylene, carbon fiber, metal fiber, and the like can be used forthe inserting knitting yarn 41.

<<Method for Knitting Shoe Upper>>

The shoe upper 1 can be knitted by a knitting method of knitting fromthe sole side toward the instep side of the shoe upper 1. The procedurewill be described based on the schematic view of FIG. 2. In theschematic view, the left side portion of the shoe upper 1 is shown, andthe right side portion of the shoe upper 1 is arranged on the far sidein the plane of drawing, where the left side portion is knitted with theone-side needle bed and the right side portion is knitted with theother-side needle bed (double headed arrow indicates the knitting widthdirection). The encircled Greek numeral in the schematic view indicatesthe order of knitting of each location.

First, a set up section (lower end line between arrow heads “a”) acrossboth the one-side needle bed and the other-side needle bed is knitted,and the sole cover section 2 is knitted based on such set up section(portion of Greek numeral I is knitted). In the knitting of the solecover section 2, the left side portion (sole left portion 2L) and theright side portion (sole right portion 2R) of the sole cover section 2are knitted with the one-side needle bed and the other-side needle bed,respectively. The ratio of the sole left portion 2L and the sole rightportion 2L is not particularly limited.

Then, the main body left portion 3L is knitted following the terminatingend in the wale direction of the sole left portion 2L held on theone-side needle bed, and the main body right portion 3R is knittedfollowing the terminating end in the wale direction of the sole rightportion 2R held on the other-side needle bed. When the sole coversection 2 is not to be integrally knitted with the instep cover section3, the main body left portion 3L is set up with the one-side needle bedand the main body right portion 3R is set up with the other-side needlebed, and then the main body left portion 3L and the main body rightportion 3R are knitted based on each set up section.

The main body left portion 3L and the main body right portion 3R can beknitted by appropriately combining the C-shaped knitting and the tubularknitting. That is, the main body left portion 3L and the main body rightportion 3R are alternately knitted while being arranged in parallel inthe opposing direction of the FB and the BB. In this case, a state inwhich the main body left portion 3L and the main body right portion 3Rare joined at the toe side and the heel side of the shoe upper 1 is tobe realized. For example, the portion of Greek numeral III may beknitted mainly by tubular knitting, and the portion of Greek numerals Vand VII may be knitted mainly by C-shaped knitting.

While knitting the instep cover section 3 configured by the main bodyleft portion 3L and the main body right portion 3R, that is, whilealternately knitting both portions 3L, 3R, the knitting of theanti-stretch section 4 (portions of Greek numerals II, IV, VI, VIII, X,XII) is appropriately carried out. An inclination angle of eachanti-stretch section 4 can be changed by adjusting the number ofknitting of the Greek numerals III, V, VII, IX, and XI. For example, theinclination angle of the anti-stretch section 4 indicated with the Greeknumeral VI can be increased by increasing the number of knitting on theheel side of the portion of Greek numeral V more than on the toe side.The specific knitting method of the anti-stretch section 4 will bedescribed later with reference to the knitting process diagram of FIG.3.

Lastly, the portions (upper end line between arrow heads “b”) on the toeside with respect to the foot insertion opening at the terminating endsin the wale direction of the main body left portion 3L and the main bodyright portion 3R are joined by knitting, and the other portions areperformed with end processing and removed from the needle beds. Theknitted shoe upper 1 is then fitted into the last and subjected to heattreatment to obtain the shoe upper 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[Knitting Method of Anti-Stretch Section]

One example of a basic knitting method of the anti-stretch section 4will be described based on the knitting process diagram of FIG. 3. Allanti-stretch sections 4 shown in FIG. 2 can be knitted with the knittingmethod similar to the knitting process diagram of FIG. 3.

S+number in the left column of the knitting process diagram of FIG. 3indicates the number of the knitting process, and the right columnindicates the held state of the knitting needles on the needle beds. Acircle mark in the right column indicates a stitch, a double circle markindicates a double stitch, an inverted triangle mark indicates a yarnfeeder, a V-shaped mark indicates a pickup stitch or a tuck stitch, anda thick arrow indicates direction of transfer. Furthermore, a black dotindicates the knitting needle of the one-side needle bed (hereinafterreferred to as FB) and the other-side needle bed (hereinafter referredto as BB), and an upper case alphabet indicates the position of theknitting needle. The number of stitches displayed is less than thenumber in the actual knitting.

S0 shows a state in which the stitches of the main body left portion 3Lare held on the knitting needles of the FB, and the stitches of the mainbody right portion 3R are held on the knitting needles of the BB. Inthis example, an empty needle is not provided between the adjacentstitches, but both portions 3L, 3R may be knitted with stitches held onevery other knitting needle (half gauge state).

In S1, the stitches of the main body left portion 3L (main body rightportion 3R) held on the knitting needles I, K, M, O, Q, S, U of the FB(BB) are moved by one needle in the leftward direction of the plane ofdrawing, and double stitches are formed on the knitting needles H, J, L,N, P, R, T of the FB (BB). S1 is carried out to form the empty needlewithin the knitting width of the instep cover section 3 to knit theanti-stretch section 4 within the knitting width of the instep coversection 3. When the instep cover section 3 is knitted in the half gaugestate, S1 does not need to be carried out. Furthermore, S1 also does notneed to be carried out when using the four-bed flat knitting machine.

In S2, the knitting of the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 isstarted within the knitting width of the main body left portion 3L.Specifically, a yarn feeder 9 is moved in the leftward direction toalternately feed the knitting yarn including the heat fusible yarn tothe knitting needles H, J, L, N, P, R, T, V of the FB and the knittingneedles I, K, M, O, Q, S, U of the BB to form the starting ends in thewale direction of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o on the FB and toform the starting ends in the wale direction of the inner knitted fabricpart 40 i on the BB (corresponding to process α in the knitting methodof the present invention). Since the knitting yarn is alternately fed tothe FB and the BB, the starting ends of the parts 40 i, 40 o are joinedwith the same knitting yarn including the heat fusible yarn. In thepresent example, a yarn feeder different from the yarn feeder used forthe knitting of the instep cover section 3 is used for the yarn feeder9, but the yarn feeder same as the yarn feeder used for the knitting ofthe instep cover section 3 can be used.

In S3, the inner knitted fabric part 40 i is knitted with the BB, and inS4, the outer knitted fabric part 40 o is knitted with the FB (part ofprocess β in the knitting method of the present invention). The knittingof the inner knitted fabric part 40 i and the knitting of the outerknitted fabric part 40 o are carried out at least one or more times.That is, the knitting of the knitted fabric part 40 i, 40 o may becarried out for a plurality of times respectively. In the presentembodiment, the number of courses of the outer knitted fabric part 40 ois set to be greater than the number of courses of the inner knittedfabric part 40 i as shown in the encircled cross-sectional view of FIG.1, therefore, the number of knitting of the outer knitted fabric part 40o is greater than the number of knitting of the inner knitted fabricpart 40 i.

After knitting a predetermined number of the inner knitted fabric parts40 i and the outer knitted fabric parts 40 o, the knitting of theinserting knitting yarn 41 is carried out using the knitting yarndifferent from the knitting yarn of both parts 40 i, 40 o (part ofprocess β in the knitting method of the present invention).Specifically, as shown in S5, a yarn feeder 8 is moved in the leftwarddirection, and the inserting knitting yarn 41 fed from the yarn feeder 8is tucked to the stitches of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o held onthe knitting needles P, J of the FB. Furthermore, in S6, the yarn feeder8 is moved in the rightward direction, and the inserting knitting yarn41 fed from the yarn feeder 8 is tucked to the stitches of the outerknitted fabric part 40 o held on the knitting needles L, R of the FB.The position to tuck the inserting knitting yarn 41 and the number oftimes to insert the inserting knitting yarn 41 are not particularlylimited. The greater the number of insertions, the higher theanti-stretch effect by the inserting knitting yarn 41 becomes.Furthermore, the inserting knitting yarn 41 can also be tucked to theinner knitted fabric part 40 i.

In S7, the yarn feeder 9 is moved to knit the outer knitted fabric part40 o with the FB. The inserting knitting yarn 41 can be fixed to theouter knitted fabric part 40 o by this knitting of the outer knittedfabric part 40 o. S7 may be omitted, and S8, to be described later, canbe carried out.

The unit knitting having the knitting of the inner knitted fabric part40 i, the knitting of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o, and theknitting of the inserting knitting yarn 41 as one unit can be repeatedfor a plurality of times. In this case, the inserting knitting yarn 41of the n^(th) unit knitting can be fixed to the outer knitted fabricpart 40 o by the knitting of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o of then+1^(th) unit knitting. The anti-stretch section 4 of a desired size canbe knitted by repeating the unit knitting for a plurality of times, sothat the entire anti-stretch section 4 can be uniformly finished, andthe anti-stretch effect can be enhanced.

After forming the pipe-form knitted fabric portion 40 to a desired size,the terminating ends in the wale direction of the inner knitted fabricpart 40 i held on the knitting needles I, K, M, O, Q, S, U of the BB aretransferred to the knitting needles H, J, L, N, P, R, T of the FB, asshown in S8. After S8, the terminating ends in the wale direction of theinner knitted fabric part 40 i and the terminating ends in the waledirection of the outer knitted fabric part 40 o can be connected byperforming knit following the double stitches of S8 (corresponding toprocess γ of the knitting method of the present invention).

After S8, the anti-stretch section 4 is formed with respect to the mainbody right portion 3R held on the BB. The formation of the anti-stretchsection 4 is to be carried out with the knitting shown in S2 to S8turned upside down. Two anti-stretch sections 4 formed on the left andright of the instep cover section 3 are thereby sequentially knitted.

[Other Knitting Methods of Anti-Stretch Section]

In the knitting method referring to FIG. 3, a hole at the end in theknitting width direction of the anti-stretch section 4 formed in themain body left portion 3L and a hole at the end in the knitting widthdirection of the anti-stretch section 4 formed in the main body rightportion 3R are not joined. On the contrary, holes of the left and rightanti-stretch sections 4 can be connected. Specifically, a pickup stitchis formed on the knitting needles of the FB or the BB (not shown) on theright side of the knitting needle V each time the outer knitted fabricpart 40 o is knitted such as while proceeding from S3 to S4 of FIG. 3.Such pickup stitches are remained formed on the needle beds until theanti-stretch section 4 of the main body left portion 3L is completed.That is, a right side end in the knitting width direction of the outerknitted fabric part 40 o stays remained on the needle bed. When knittingthe anti-stretch section 4 of the main body right portion 3R, the pickupstitches remained on the needle bed are sequentially connected to theouter knitted fabric part 40 o of the anti-stretch section 4 of the mainbody right portion 3R. The hole of the anti-stretch section 4 of themain body left portion 3L and the hole of the anti-stretch section 4 ofthe main body right portion 3R are thereby joined.

Modified Embodiment 1-1

The shoe upper 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be knitted in a direction oppositeto the direction described in the first embodiment, that is, from theinstep side toward the sole side. That is, the shoe upper 1 can beknitted in the order of Greek numeral XIII→I of FIG. 2. In such a case,a set up section corresponding to the upper end line between the arrowheads “b” is knitted, and then the main body left portion 3L is knittedwith the one-side needle bed and the main body right portion 3R isknitted with the other-side needle bed based on such set up section. Theanti-stretch section 4 is knitted according to the knitting methodillustrated in FIG. 3 while knitting both portions 3L, 3R. After theknitting of the main body left portion 3L and the main body rightportion 3R is finished, the sole left portion 2L is knitted followingthe terminating end in the wale direction of the main body left portion3L held on the one-side needle bed and the sole right portion 2R isknitted following the terminating end in the wale direction of the mainbody right portion 3R held on the other-side needle bed. Lastly, thesole left portion 2L and the sole right portion 2R are joined tocomplete the shoe upper 1.

Second Embodiment

In a second embodiment, an example of knitting a shoe upper 1′ in avertical direction on the needle beds will be described based on theschematic view of FIG. 4. The way of viewing the schematic view issimilar to the schematic view of FIG. 2. The double headed arrow in thefigure indicates the knitting width direction of the instep coversection 3.

In the second embodiment, the knitting is carried out from the heel sidetoward the toe side of the shoe upper 1′. Specifically, a set up sectioncorresponding to the lower end line between the arrow heads “a” isknitted, and then the instep cover section 3 and the sole cover section2 are knitted and the anti-stretch section 4 is knitted in the order ofthe Greek numerals I to IX. The sole left portion 2L and the main bodyleft portion 3L are knitted while being arranged side by side on theone-side needle bed, and the sole right portion 2R and the main bodyright portion 3R are knitted while being arranged side by side on theother-side needle bed, and the sole left portion 2L and the sole rightportion 2R are joined on the sole side (left side in the plane ofdrawing) by the C-shaped knitting. The anti-stretch section 4 is knittedby the knitting method similar to the knitting method illustrated in theknitting process diagram of FIG. 3. Lastly, the left side portion andthe right side portion of the shoe upper 1′ are connected at theposition of the upper end line between the arrow heads “b” to completethe shoe upper 1′.

According to the knitting method described above, the shoe upper 1′ inwhich the knitting width direction of the instep cover section 3 isdirected in the height direction (direction of sole to foot insertionopening) of the shoe upper 1′, and the anti-stretch section 4 issubstantially extended in the height direction of the shoe upper 1′ isobtained. According to such shoe upper 1′, the stretching of the shoeupper 1′ (instep cover section 3) toward the outer side can beeffectively suppressed. In addition, the shoe upper 1′ (instep coversection 3) that is less likely to stretch toward the outer side fits tothe foot when worn and excels in the comfortableness.

The set up method of the heel and the shape of the heel, as well as themanner of closing the toe are not particularly limited. For example, thetechnique described in International Patent Publication No. 2014/013790can be used.

Modified Embodiment 2-1

The shoe upper 1′ shown in FIG. 4 can also be knitted in the oppositedirection from the second embodiment, that is, from the toe toward theheel. In such a case, the knitting is to be carried out in the order ofGreek numeral IX→I of FIG. 4. The left side portion of the shoe upper 1′is knitted with the one-side needle bed, and the right side portion isknitted with the other-side needle bed.

Modified Embodiment 2-2

As opposed to the second embodiment and the modified embodiment 2-1, themain body left portion 3L and the main body right portion 3R of theinstep cover section 3 can also be knitted while being arranged side byside in the longitudinal direction of the needle beds. In such a case aswell, the anti-stretch section 4 formed in the instep cover section 3can be knitted by the knitting method similar to the knitting methodillustrated in the knitting process diagram of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1, 1′ shoe upper-   2 sole cover section-   2L sole left portion-   2R sole right portion-   3 instep cover section-   3L main body left portion-   3R main body right portion-   4 anti-stretch section-   40 pipe-form knitted fabric portion-   40 i inner knitted fabric part-   40 o outer knitted fabric part-   41 inserting knitting yarn-   8, 9 yarn feeder-   FB one-side needle bed-   BB other-side needle bed

1. A shoe upper including an instep cover section that covers a portionon an instep side of a wearer, the shoe upper comprising: a linearanti-stretch section, integrally arranged in the instep cover section byknitting, for suppressing stretching of the instep cover section;wherein the anti-stretch section includes a pipe-form knitted fabricportion configured with a knitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn,and an inserting knitting yarn inserted inside the pipe-form knittedfabric portion and fixed by tuck to stitches configuring the pipe-formknitted fabric portion; and the pipe-form knitted fabric portion isconfigured by an inner knitted fabric part and an outer knitted fabricpart that overlap in a thickness direction of the instep cover section,a starting end in a wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part anda starting end in a wale direction of the outer knitted fabric partbeing joined, and a terminating end in the wale direction of the innerknitted fabric part and a terminating end in the wale direction of theouter knitted fabric part being joined to form a pipe shape.
 2. The shoeupper according to claim 1, wherein a knitting width direction of theinstep cover section is directed in a lengthwise direction of the shoeupper.
 3. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein a knitting widthdirection of the instep cover section is directed in a height directionof the shoe upper.
 4. A method for knitting a shoe upper in which aninstep cover section that covers a portion on an instep side of a weareris knitted in a seamless manner using a flat knitting machine includinga one-side needle bed and an other-side needle bed disposed opposite toeach other, the method comprising: knitting a linear anti-stretchsection integrally formed in the instep cover section while knitting theinstep cover section, the anti-stretch section including a pipe-formknitted fabric portion in which an inner knitted fabric part and anouter knitted fabric part overlapping in a thickness direction of theinstep cover section are joined to a pipe shape, and an insertingknitting yarn inserted inside the pipe-form knitted fabric portion andfixed by tuck to stitches configuring the pipe-form knitted fabricportion; wherein the following processes α to γ are carried out in theknitting of the anti-stretch section: process α of knitting a startingend in a wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part and a startingend in a wale direction of the outer knitted fabric part joined with aknitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn, process β of knitting theinner knitted fabric part and the outer knitted fabric part withdifferent needle beds, feeding the inserting knitting yarn differentfrom the inner knitted fabric part and the outer knitted fabric partbetween the knitted fabric parts, and fixing the inserting knitting yarnby tuck to stitches of the inner knitted fabric part or stitches of theouter knitted fabric part; and process γ of joining a terminating end inthe wale direction of the inner knitted fabric part and a terminatingend in the wale direction of the outer knitted fabric part by knitting.